Lakeland senior art students share Bradley Gallery spotlight
The artwork of a pair of 51ĀŅĀ× seniors will be spotlighted during the next Bradley Gallery exhibition.
Amy Kafka and Dakota Aschenbach will discuss their work at an opening reception at the Bradley Gallery at Lakelandās Sheboygan County campus on Friday, November 7, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The exhibit will be displayed through December 5.
The Bradley Gallery is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, when Lakeland is in session.
Kafka is completing a bachelorās degree in studio art and expects to graduate this May. The Cleveland, Wis., resident is a professional artist with five years of experience.
Her work explores the balance between nature, mortality and transformation, often incorporating imagery such as flowers, animals and butterflies to represent both fragility and strength.
A 2013 graduate of Lakeshore Technical College, she primarily focuses on commissioned work, collaborating closely with clients to bring personal visions to life. She combines technical skill, artistic intuition and understanding of symbolism to create meaningful, visually compelling pieces that resonate with individual stories and emotions.
āThese motifs are deeply personal, allowing me to process my lived experience with congenital heart defects and the many near-death encounters that have shaped my perspective of life,ā Kafka said. āEach piece becomes a reflection on impermanence while also honoring the beauty and strength that can exist alongside it.ā
Growing up on a hobby farm, she developed a lasting love for animals and that connection has guided her creativity. She is also inspired by her congenital heart defect (CHD), a structural abnormality that has defined much of her journey.
āLiving with CHD has meant facing medical trauma and moments of uncertainty, and these experiences resonate in my artwork,ā Kafka said. āAt times, my art reveals how I treasure fleeting beauty and whimsical ideas, while at other times it shows my process of working through doubts, emotions, and reflections on death and dying.ā
Aschenbach is completing a bachelorās degree in graphic design and also expects to graduate in May. He has been apprenticing at a local tattoo shop to help develop his talents. He was a member of Lakelandās wrestling team and worked several jobs, including groundskeeper at Whistling Straits Golf Course.
Aschenbach said his art is an attempt to create an external view of the world he sees around him and has reoccurring themes of nature, space and existential themes, showcasing them in many different styles.
āI never stay with one style for long and shift often between realism, ignorance, abstraction, surrealism and landscape artistry,ā he said. āI work in many mediums such as colored pencil, oil paint and digital mediums to showcase my ideas. Each work that I create is nothing more than a commentary on my worldview and the feelings experienced as I walk the path of life.ā
Aschenbach said his art is a way for him to connect with his inner self and share his vision and internal view of the world around him. The colors he uses are a connection to his feelings of wonder and curiosity and the subject matter is often symbols and references to many of his dreams and stories created in his mind.
āMy goal for my art is to inspire others to become more connected with themselves and to help them slow down and realize that life is never serious enough that you should ignore the beauty of everyday life,ā he said.
